Greek Chickpea Salad (with the BEST homemade dressing)

Have you ever ordered a Greek salad at a restaurant and been disappointed when presented with a ton of iceberg lettuce, large rings of red onions, 2 pale tasteless tomato slices and a massive feta cheese crumble? Oh, and the weirdly brown Greek dressing in a small black plastic container on the side. Let’s not forget the dressing!

Well, this salad is NONE of these things. It is filled with colorful crunchy vegetables, creamy chickpeas, briny olives, creamy feta cheese, and dressed with THE BEST garlicky, lemony homemade Greek dressing.

If you love the idea of chickpeas in salads, try this La Scala Chopped Salad, too, or check out more Chickpea Recipes for more inspiration.

What's in an authentic Greek salad?

If you’ve ever been to Greece or eaten in a good Greek restaurant, you’ll know that the authentic Greek salad does not come with any greens at all. Instead, it’s typically made with super flavorful fresh tomatoes and cucumbers that ripened in the wonderful Mediterranean warm sun, sweet and spicy red onion, savory olives and a block of feta cheese in the middle, sometimes sliced thickly.

While this recipe is different from the classic Greek salad, it is definitely inspired by the flavors and textures of the Greek classic. For the best tasting vegetables, I used bright and red cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers (sometimes called Persian cucumbers) and yellow bell peppers. To make this salad a balanced meal that can be served on its own, I decided to add canned chickpeas – an excellent source of plant-based protein and fiber.

Ingredient notes

• Canned Chickpeas: ready to use and inexpensive, chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) add substance and nutritional value to this salad.
• Cherry Tomatoes: pick red and juicy tomatoes for best flavor. There are many varieties of delicious small tomatoes. Use whatever you have access to!
• Mini Cucumbers: they have less water and more flavor than large cucumbers.
• Yellow Bell Pepper: to add color and crunch to the salad.
• Red Onion: a Greek salad staple!
• Kalamata Olives: dark purple, meaty and smooth, these are the best olives ever. Make sure they’re pitted!
• Feta Cheese: I buy a block of feta and cube it small but you can also use already cubed feta in brine or the crumbled kind, if you prefer.
• Fresh Parsley Leaves: to add an extra layer of herby, bright flavor. Use flat leaf or curly parsley.
• Homemade Greek Dressing: try my recipe for creamy homemade Greek dressing. It is made with olive oil, red or white wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper. It is easy and delicious, and SO MUCH BETTER than the store bought bottled dressing.

How to make Greek salad with chickpeas

Step 1: Prepare the dressing. Place fresh lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, white or red wine vinegar, dijon mustard and spices in a mason jar and blend it with an immersion blender until creamy (find full dressing tutorial here).

Step 2: Chop all the vegetables, parsley, olives and feta and place in a large mixing bowl.

Tip: If you want to make raw red onion's flavor less spicy (or "oniony"), place chopped onion in a small bowl of cold water and soak it for 10-15 minutes. Drain and add to the salad. 

Step 3: Pour in the dressing. Start with about ⅓ cup, stir gently until the veggies are coated. If you like lots of dressing, add more and mix, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it’s dressed to your liking.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy!

Serving & storage tips

This salad is quite versatile. Serve it on its own in bowls for a quick lunch, perhaps with crusty bread, if that’s your thing. You can also serve this salad on a bed of lettuce or other leafy greens for a big crunchy summer dinner salad. If you want to make it into a side dish, it will go perfectly with grilled chicken, fish or shrimp.

Try this easy Greek chickpea salad with these Chicken Skewers, my Brined Chicken Wings or this Feta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken. It's also lovely along pasta, such as this creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta.

You can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. If making ahead, place all the ingredients in a bowl but don’t dress it until right before serving for the freshest, best tasting, crunchiest salad.

Variations and substitutions

• If you don’t like chickpeas, you can swap them for white beans (such as cannellini) or cooked chopped up chicken.
• Mini cucumbers can be replaced with European cucumber, sliced and quartered.
• If you don’t have cherry tomatoes, they can be swapped for regular chopped tomatoes.
• Yellow bell pepper looks best in contrast with red tomatoes and green cucumbers but use whatever color of bell pepper you have on hand.
• For a spicy kick, add some chopped pepperoncini from a jar.
• If you like fresh herbs in salads, you will love parsley in it but feel free to add other herbs: fresh dill, mint and oregano will all work well.

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